Backlog: Shay and Bailey
Who: Shay and Bailey
When: Late afternoon into the evening of Saturday September 17, 2011
Where: Westport Farmers Market
What: A real date
Bailey ran her hand through her hair as she studied the bus schedule plastered to the wall of the sidewalk hub. She squinted against the glare of the glass from the sun and thought about getting her sunglasses out of her purse. Rooting through it, though, she remembered that she’d given them to Shay. Bailey grinned as she looked over her shoulder at Shay who was sitting on the bench inside the hub, staring back at her.
Dropping to the bench beside Shay, Bailey shrugged. “We’ve got at least another 5 minutes before another bus comes by.” She casually let her hand fall next to Shay’s, her pinky grazing against Shay’s.
Shay sighed and uncrossed then recrossed her legs. “This must be why people don’t do this.” With her free hand she resituated her skirt since it had slid up when she moved. “This is why I don’t do this.” She looked down at their hands. “I’m not going to complain too much though because it’s just more time I get to spend with you.”
“Oh, I’m glad you’re not going to complain too much,” Bailey teased. “Come on. This is fun and spontaneous.” She leaned sideways, nudging Shay gently. “I thought you wanted to ‘go with the surf,’ huh?”
Shay smiled over at Bailey then checked her watch. “I think... I’ll just have to hang out with you more.” She uncrossed her legs and then moved one over until it rested against Bailey’s. “Is that okay with you. Or, since you are the expert here is there some other... method that you’d assign?”
Bailey ducked her head, resting her chin against Shay’s shoulder. “No, I think that’s exactly the right method. And you should practice. Often. Practice makes perfect, they say,” she murmured.
Shay draped her hair over her other shoulder so that it wouldn’t bother Bailey. “I think we practiced a lot this week.” She giggled. “That sounds really... not what it was.”
“Not what it was, hmm?” Bailey laughed. “That sounded kind of dirty, you know. And I have a reputation to protect.” She curled her pinky and ring finger over Shay’s, lacing them together, hiding them between their bodies. “Though, I guess I’d tarnish it for you.”
“You don’t care though.” Shay said as she looked over at Bailey for a moment before she looked up at the sky. “You don’t care what the people at school think about you. You’re just happy being happy.” With her free hand she toyed with the strap of her purse. “I think that’s something I need to learn too. I’m pretty sure it’s harder to teach.”
Bailey nodded, staring at Shay’s profile. “Yeah, but you’re a good learner, Smarty Pants.” She smiled and leaned forward a little, catching sight of the coming bus. “I believe in you.” Tugging gently at Shay’s hand, she stood up and smoothed down her shirt. “Come on, Peach. Our chariot is here.”
Shay laughed as she stood and pulled her purse onto her shoulder. As they waited for the bus to pull up she took out the money for her fare. “I can’t believe we haven’t picked where we’re going.” Shay smiled as Bailey rolled her eyes at her. “I’m excited, okay, excited.” She said as she looped her arm through her girlfriend’s but released her so that they could board the bus.
“You better be,” Bailey said playfully, getting on the bus first and dropping her fare into the box. She took a seat is the middle of the practically-empty bus, tapping her feet impatiently as she waited for Shay to join her.
Shay smiled at the driver as she dropped in her money. She grabbed onto the top of a seat to stay steady as she made her way to Bailey and the bus took off. Making sure her skirt wouldn’t wrinkle Shay settled in next to Bailey. She reached for her hand, lacing their fingers together and used her purse to hide the connection. With her free hand she took of her borrowed sunglasses and hung them on the neck of Bailey’s shirt. “Thank you.”
Bailey grinned. "S'no problem." She squeezed Shay's hand and bounced a little in her seat. "So, the rule is, if you see anything interesting, we get off the bus. We both know I can be spontaneous, but this is the perfect time for you to get some practice in." Bailey leaned in, lowering her voice to whisper in Shay's ear. "If you're real good, maybe I'll reward you later."
Shay shivered and leaned away. “I need to concentrate and that isn’t helping.” She got up and made her way to a seat on the opposite side of the aisle. The other passengers were too engrossed in their music or papers to notice them anyway. She took a route map out of one of the plastic containers and opened it, trying to find if there were any names on this route that she could recognize.
“Really?” Bailey asked, eyebrow raised and a smile on her lips. She turned in her seat, her back against the window and her legs stretched out across the seat. “Awh, Peach, no.” She slid off the seat enough to reach forward and grab a corner of the map. “Look out the window. And pick somewhere that looks interesting. Maps are cheating.”
Shay sighed playfully and released the map. “I think you need to explain all of these rules beforehand.” She turned her head to watch what went by. “What if I pick somewhere that you don’t like. This is a - we’re both supposed to have fun.”
“I’m sure I’ll have fun,” Bailey reassured her. “Come on. Just... live a little.” She bit down on her bottom lip, looking up at Shay through her eyelashes - a move that got her whatever she wanted from her father. “For me?”
Shay got up and returned to her previous seat next to Bailey. This time it was her turn to whisper in Bailey’s ear. “I’m in this for the reward. So I’m really hoping you’ll make it worth it.”
Bailey grinned widely, turning her head just enough so that her lips grazed against Shay’s cheek. “Oh, I will,” she promised, her voice low. She braced her hand on the seat in front of her as they came to their first stop. “Anything yet?”
“Oh, um,” Shay sat forward some so that she could get a better look outside the window, her hand finding Bailey’s knee as she did. “Lets... go a bit farther away from campus. Not too far but... maybe just a little more.” Since she was in the aisle seat she had to lean across Bailey some as she looked outside. “Excuse me.” She mumbled. “Yeah,” she leaned back, “ a few more stops.”
Bailey thought about letting her hand fall to Shay’s, but when Shay didn’t move her hand off her knee, Bailey sat back in her seat, smiling to herself. “A few more stops is fine with me.” No one had gotten on the bus and an older woman a few seats behind them had gotten off, leaving them in almost complete privacy. She smiled at Shay. “You’re not excused, by the way. Invading my personal space? How dare you.”
“So, when I invaded your space this morning?” Shay asked referring to when she’d come to get Bailey to begin their date and they traded a few sweet kisses. “I shouldn’t do that anymore?” Shay shook her head as she looked down. “I mean,” the corner of her mouth crooked in a half smile, “if that’s what you want.”
“I was just being too polite to say anything,” Bailey said, shaking her head, biting down on her smile. After a few silent minutes, glancing at Shay out of the corner of her eye every other second, Bailey finally cracked. “Oh, don’t be dumb. S’my job, Peach.” She lowered her voice, conscious of the few other people lingering on the bus. “I kind of want you to kiss me all the time.”
Shay blushed, without thinking she licked her bottom lip and gently squeezed Bailey’s knee. “I - you .” She cleared her throat and looked away from Bailey to the group of people who were getting on the bus.
Bailey turned towards the people getting on the bus and tried not to be disappointed. She didn’t know who they were and she was sure that Shay didn’t either, but... But maybe she did, Bailey told herself. “A few more stops, yeah?”
Shay nodded and leaned over to whisper in Bailey’s ear again. “I’d really like to find somewhere that I could kiss you.” She pulled back a bit, eyeing Bailey, before returning properly to her seat. The next time the bus stopped and the doors opened Shay perked up. “Oh, here,” she took in a deep breath. “Do you smell that? It smells like coffee but... really really good coffee. Let’s get off here.”
“I could use a really good coffee.” Laughing, Bailey got off the bus, squinting at the sun. She looked expectantly at Shay. “So, where to?”
“Um,” Shay turned around slowly. She really had no clue where she was. She stepped closer to Bailey. They seem to have stumbled an outdoor market. There was fresh produce and various arts and crafts and clothes and people. Bordering the market were different storefronts. To Shay it felt like the type of place that if she wanted to hold Bailey’s hand no one would care. “Wherever... the delicious smelling coffee is.”
Bailey tilted her head up, sniffing a little. “That way,” she said after a minute, pointing down a few storefronts. “That’s the place with the magic stuff.”
Shay looped a finger through one of Bailey’s belt loops and tugged her forward a few steps. “This place is really cool.” She said as she released Bailey only to loop their arms together. “Maybe you were right about the spontaneous thing, maybe.”
“No maybe, baby. Spontaneity is the new way to do things and the best way to do them.” She smiled at a woman watching them. “I have a feeling you’re secretly going to love it.”
“I will admit to nothing.” Shay couldn’t tell if Bailey was using a pet name or just trying to complete the rhyme She didn’t think she should ask so she just let it go. Stopping as they passed a consignment shop, Shay pulled Bailey with her as she stepped up to the small display window to look inside. “Coffee, you, and clothes.” She smiled as she looked over at Bailey. “So far I’d say this is a pretty perfect date.”
Bailey squealed a little as her eyes adjusted to the display window, taking in the clothes she could see. She already saw a few shirts she wanted to try on. And a few other shirts for Shay. She loved how good Shay looked all the time, but Bailey was dying to see how cute she’d look in an old, awesome t-shirt. “Okay,” she decided. “Coffee, right now, and then we are going in there and we’re not coming out until we have something.”
“I want to kiss you right now. So, I owe you one kiss, keep count.” Shay said with a smile as they stepped back and continued toward the marvelous smell. Finally they found it and Shay stepped forward to open the door for Bailey. There was a bit of a chill in the air and as they stepped inside the warm sweet scented shop Shay couldn’t help but smile. The menu was written in chalk and as a woman passed with her cup Shay could see that a leaf had been made in the foam. “Wow.” Shay said as she looked back to Bailey then to the menu. “I don’t even know where to start.”
Still smiling from Shay’s mention of keeping a kiss count, Bailey shrugged. “I’m gonna get...” She scanned the board again. “Oh, a Cinnamon Dolce Latte. That sounds so good.” Taking a chance, Bailey casually brushed her hand against Shay’s, lacing their pinkies and ring fingers together. It felt like holding hands without holding hands. “How ‘bout you?”
“I think...” Shay paused as she scanned the prices first then followed the connecting line to the actual item. Bailey’s touch gave her pause and she looked down at their partially joined hands. She struggled to resist the urge to look around so instead she looked back up at the menu. “I’m going to get the Spiced Chestnut Mocha.”
“You sure?” Bailey didn’t know if she was talking about Shay’s drink order or the way her eyes widened when she’d looked down and saw what Bailey had done with their hands.
“Yeah.” Shay said after a moment as she shifted her grip on Bailey’s hand until their fingers were completely laced. “Yeah, I’m sure.”
Bailey smiled. “Good. Because I’m buying.” She stepped up to the counter, their joined hands lagging between them. She gave their order to the boy behind the counter, smiling widely.
“Oh, no, don’t.” Shay said quickly, hating that she used the moment as an excuse to pull their hands apart. She reached for her purse but Bailey had already paid. She sighed and dropped her wallet back into her purse. “That was very... chivalrous but you didn’t have to.”
“I know I didn’t have to,” Bailey said. She rested one hip against the counter as the kid made their drinks, crossing her arms over her chest. She wrapped her fingers tightly around her own arm to replace the loss of Shay’s hand. “But I wanted to. So I did.” She shrugged.
“So then...” Shay stepped a bit closer, “next time it will be my turn?” She wished she could let herself hold Bailey’s hand. She didn’t want to mess things up with her but she wasn’t as ready as she thought she was.
Bailey softened a little. “If that’s what you want, then sure. Next time you can pay.”
“I want to.” Shay said carefully, hoping Bailey would understand.
Sighing, a smile playing at her lips, Bailey nodded. “Then you can.” She thanked the boy who handed her the coffees and nodded towards an empty table by the door. “We could sit and drink, or walk. Your choice, Peach.”
“I think I’d like to walk.” Shay said as she carefully took her cup. “There’s so much to see. But only if you’re okay with that too.”
“Course I am.” Bailey held the door open for Shay and waited until she went through to follow her onto the street. “There is a lot here. I’ve never been down here before.” She turned to Shay. “Where to? Left or right.”
“Lets go left.” Shay decided. “That’s what happens when you’re spontaneous.” Shay said as she lightly bumped Bailey with her hip. “You discover new and exciting things. Don’t worry, I’ll help you work on it.” Shay took a sip of her coffee. “Oh, so good.”
Bailey laughed loudly. “You’ll help me work on it,” she repeated, shaking her head. She started towards the left. “You’re hilarious, really. I am the queen of spontaneity. I pretty much came up with the concept. So I’ll teach you how it goes.” She fell into step next to Shay.
“I don’t know. I’m getting pretty good at this. Next thing you know I’ll be... I don’t even know because I’ll just be that spontaneous.” Shay slowed as they began to pass vendor stalls. “You won’t ever know what to expect from me.”
“Who knows what I expect from you now anyway,” Bailey teased, looking over the products at each stall. There was a really cool necklace she liked, with a small raindrop-looking pendant hanging off it. Stepping a little closer to Shay, but not too close so the girl would step away, she said, “So, whatcha looking for?”
“I don’t know, I’m being spontaneous.” Shay laughed, looking at the various pieces of jewelry over the top of her coffee cup. “I promise I’ll stop with this soon.” She held her coffee in one hand as she reached for a pair of earrings. “Well I would like to know what you expect so that I don’t do anything wrong.”
Bailey moved towards the necklace again, touching the pendant lightly. “Spontaneous you is nice. But it’s nice too, when you’re all... plans.” She didn’t want Shay to think she didn’t like the way Shay seemed like a very structured, regimented person. It was endearing. “And unless you... I don’t know, leave me here in the middle of the day and never speak to me again, I don’t see you doing much wrong.”
Shay smiled, looked around a moment then reached over for Bailey’s hand. She tugged her close and leaned forward to kiss her quickly. She could feel the pick up in her pulse at the contact and the risk. She pulled back, brushing against Bailey as she stepped around her to look at another table of jewelry. “I think you like me.” She said softly as she passed her.
Blinking a few times, the feel of Shay’s lips lingering against her own, it took Bailey a moment before she could turn around. She hadn’t been expecting that. Like, at all. “Uh,” she said distractedly. “Yeah, I think I do.” Clearing her head a bit, she turned back to the table with the raindrop pendant necklace, asking how much it cost.
I probably shouldn’t have done that. Shay thought to herself. She’d wanted to kiss Bailey and she’d wanted to hold her hand. They weren’t at school so why couldn’t she just be okay with doing those things? Because she was terrified of getting caught. With her thoughts racing she couldn’t concentrate on the items in front of her. When she heard the vendor and Bailey talking she turned around and returned to Bailey’s side.
Smiling at Shay, Bailey tucked the wrapped necklace into her purse. "Getting anything?" she asked, hoping Shay hadn't seen the necklace.
Shay looked around one last time before shaking her head. “I think I’m going to save my money for that store we saw earlier.”
“Oh, let’s go there.” Bailey bit her lip again, looking at Shay. “Can we please go there?”
Shay smiled and let herself be momentarily distracted by just how pretty Bailey was. “Okay.” She finally said. “Okay.” She repeated since Bailey had smiled and Shay had lost her train of thought. They stepped out of the stall and headed to the store that they’d peaked into before getting coffee.
Bailey grinned widely as she pulled Shay through the door of the shop, stopping momentarily in the doorway to take it in. It looked like a secondhand clothing store, exactly the kind of places she shopped in at home in California. Sighing wistfully, she walked towards one of the racks, looking through the shirts. “Hey, Peach, c’mere.”
“Find something already?” Shay asked as she moved away from the shirts that she’d been looking at to see what Bailey had found. Her eyes wandered over the stacks that Bailey was combing through and she chuckled to herself. “Is there a shirt here without some sort of band name or logo?”
“No! Isn’t that awesome?” She pulled a shirt off the rack and held it up to Shay’s torso. “Now, are you more a Ramones girl, or a Joan Jett?”
“Devil music all of it.” Shay teased as she looked down at the shirt that Bailey was holding against her. “Um,” Shay hesitated, “ I’m not really sure so... how about you pick.” She looked back up at Bailey, “Which one do you like best?”
Bailey sighed, eyes on the two shirts. The Ramones were awesome, but Joan Jett was the queen of rock. Plus, the black Joan Jett shirt would look amazing on Shay. She thrust it towards Shay. “Try this one. I think it’d be perfect for you.”
“Okay.” Shay said as she took the shirt, turned it around to get a better look at it, and then laid it over her arm. “So does this mean I get to pick out something for you?” Shay looked over her shoulder at Bailey as she moved a few tables down. “I think that’s fair.”
“What?” Bailey made a face. “It depends on what you pick out,” she said slowly.
Shay laughed, her hair falling off her shoulders as her head fell back. “Oh, you don’t trust me.” She shook her head. “That hurts it just hurts.”
Bailey smiled. “Fine, fine. Pick me something and then we’ll be even.”
“I don’t know if I should.” Shay said as she paused at a row of jackets. “I don’t want you to break up with me or something if I pick the wrong thing.” She pulled a dark purple Adidas jacket off the rack. The trade mark three white stripes ran down the shoulders to the cuffs of the sleeves with the Adidas trefoil in white on the back. She reached up to read the tag. “It says it’s called a firebird tt. If that means anything.” She looked to Bailey waiting for her reaction before she moved on if she didn’t like it.
Turning around to see what Shay was holding, Bailey’s eyes lit up. She tempered her reaction, eyeing the jacket critically. “Hmm,” she said to herself, feeling the fabric between her fingers. “I mean, you could have done worse,” she said solemnly. She waited a few seconds before looking up and catching Shay’s eye. “I love it. Honest. Very good choice.”
Shay smiled and leaned forward some, switching her coffee from one hand to the other so she could wrap her arm around Bailey. “So, no breaking up then?” She asked as she pulled her closer, looking over her shoulder for a moment toward the front of the shop then back to her.
Bailey glanced in the same direction Shay was looking, smiling crookedly when she realized the only other person in the shop was the owner and he was behind the counter. “No,” she murmured. “No breaking up.” She leaned forward and kissed Shay quickly.
“Good.” Shay said with a soft smile. She looked away for a moment. “I’m sorry that I can’t... do this with you all the time...” She trailed unsure if she should or could say more.
Bailey sighed softly. “It’s okay. I’m sorry I, like, pushed earlier.” She ducked her head a little. “I didn’t mean to.”
“It’s not that I don’t want to.” Shay said as she tilted her head to try to catch Bailey’s eye. “I don’t mind that. I mean... when I do mind I’ll tell you, okay?”
“Okay,” Bailey echoed, reaching up to tuck some of Shay’s hair behind her ear. She let her hand hover there for a moment, smiling softly before clearing her throat. “Okay, so, try on that shirt for me, would you, beautiful?”
Shay smiled and turned away before Bailey could see her blush. As she headed back to the changing rooms she grabbed a few more items off of the various racks and shelves. When she finally reached the back she pushed aside the curtain to step into the changing room. Pulling off her shirt she folded it before setting it aside to reach for the one Bailey had picked out. “Okay,” she said as she stepped out of the room. “Thoughts?”
Bailey whistled. “Well, damn. You look...” She shook her head, grinning. Shay looked really good in that shirt. And Bailey didn’t know what it was, but something about Shay in a battered Joan Jett shirt was amazing-looking. “You look... Yeah,” she breathed out, unable to form her thoughts into words. “Yes. That shirt has my vote.”
Shay laughed and looked down at herself in the simple shirt. “Really?”
“Absolutely,” Bailey said, grinning. “Don’t ask me why. Just get the shirt.”
“So weird.” Shay said shaking her head. She turned to head back into the changing room, purposefully beginning to pull of the t-shirt before she was fully out of sight. “Did you find anything else you liked?” She called out as she reached for the next thing she’d brought back.
The image of Shay’s midriff still burned into the back of her eyelids, it took Bailey a minute to answer the question. “Uh, yeah,” she said, looking down at the clothes in her hands. “The jacket and some other shirts. And a pair of pants.”
Shay bit her lip as time stretched and Bailey didn’t respond. When the other girl finally spoke and Shay could hear the tone of her voice she was relieved. She stepped out of the skirt she was wearing and pulled on a sundress she’d picked up. “You gonna change so I can see?”
“Yeah, gimme a second,” Bailey said, slipping into the stall next to Shay’s. She could see Shay’s bare feet and got distracted for a minute before pulling her shirt off and dropping it to the floor, replacing it with one she’d picked off the rack. “Let me know when you wanna see.”
“Ready?” Shay asked as she smoothed her dress and looked at her reflection. She turned to look over her shoulder and then reached out to slide the curtain to the side, poking her head out to see if Bailey was ready.
Bailey stepped out of the changing room, smoothing down the shirt she was trying on. She looked up and smiled as she caught sight of Shay. “What do you think?”
“I think you’re very pretty and no shirt is going to change that.” Shay stepped forward placing her hands lightly on Bailey’s waist. “I like it. It fits you well and is a nice color for you.”
“Yeah?” Bailey tilted her head to the side and smiled widely, placing her hands over Shay’s. “I like your dress too.”
Shay nodded and wrapped her arms around Bailey, pulling her close. “Thanks.” She mumbled before leaning forward to kiss her.
Lingering for a moment, Bailey smiled against Shay’s lips. “You’re welcome,” she said, stroking her thumb over Shay’s hipbone. “Mhmm. Very welcome.”
“Too bad I don’t owe you more kisses.” Shay smirked as she pulled back. She leaned in for one more quick kiss, lightly pulling on the bottom of Bailey’s shirt as she did. “You should get it.” She said over her shoulder as she stepped back into her changing room.
Bailey stepped back into her changing room, smirking at her reflection. “I will,” she called out. “If you get that dress. And wear it the next time I take you out.”
“I’m pretty sure it’s me who is taking you out next time, just for the record.” Shay pulled her own skirt back on and then another shirt she’d picked out. She looked at her reflection and shook her head before she took that shirt off and started a ‘no’ pile.
“I don’t care who takes who out,” Bailey shouted back. She held another shirt up to her body and shook her head, doing the same with the next few shirts. Finally she found one she liked and she smiled at her reflection. “Just as long as you wear that dress.” She pulled the purple Adidas jacket on, turning in a slow circle.
“So demanding.” Shay replied. She’d stopped trying on new things and was now just looking at herself in the mirror wearing the Joan Jett shirt that Bailey liked so much. She pulled her hair up and then down, turned one way and then the other, trying to imagine the various outfits she could make with it. Outfits that she would probably try to wear if she knew she was going to be seeing Bailey that day. “Next thing you’ll want poetry at five and dinner by six.”
Bailey smiled to herself. “Dinner at six? Ridiculous. Everyone knows dinner is always at 6:15. Goodness.” She stepped out of the changing room, still wearing the jacket, and leaned against a rack, waiting for Shay to finish up.
“Promptly.” Shay laughed. She hadn’t found anything else that she liked so when she stepped out of the changing room it was in her own clothes. She carried the dress and shirt that she was going to by and hung everything else up on the rack that the employees would put back. Finally she turned to Bailey. “Oh, I really like that on you.”
“Do you?” Bailey looked down at herself, preening a little. “My girlfriend picked it out for me. I’ll let her know you liked it.”
“She did?” Shay asked with a smile as she playfully looked around. “Well where is she because she has great taste in girls and clothes.”
Bailey smiled and rolled her eyes, nudging Shay gently. “Anything else you wanna get, or do you wanna go see what else we can find?”
“I want to the buy these.” Shay said holding up the dress and shirt she’d picked out. “Maybe, we could explore a little more. I don’t want to go back to school yet.” Shay wasn’t sure how to say she wanted to spend more time with Bailey before they got back to AWM and things had to change.
“I don’t want to go back either,” Bailey admitted, hoisting the jacket and another t-shirt onto the counter. The older man rang her up as Bailey rifled through her purse for her wallet. Her hand brushed against the wrapped necklace she’d gotten - she would save that and give it to Shay later in the week. “So,” she continued as the man handed her back her change. “Exploring sounds perfect to me.”
“Spending time with you sounds perfect to me.” Shay said as she stepped up to the counter to pay for her thing. “Don’t say anything.” She said looking away as Bailey smiled at her. She pulled out her wallet as the price flashed on the cash register. She looked up at the sound of deep chuckling to find that the owner was laughing at them as he bagged her purchases. Shay tensed and slid her change hastily back into her wallet. She was completely surprised when he said, “You two remind me of when I was young, trying to figure out dating, it’s nice.” He smiled and handed Bailey her bag. “Have a nice day.”
Bailey looked up in surprise too, but recovered before Shay did, looping her arm through Shay’s. She smiled widely at him and tugged a little on Shay’s arm, who seemed frozen in place. “You heard the man, Peach. Let’s go have a nice day.
When: Late afternoon into the evening of Saturday September 17, 2011
Where: Westport Farmers Market
What: A real date
Bailey ran her hand through her hair as she studied the bus schedule plastered to the wall of the sidewalk hub. She squinted against the glare of the glass from the sun and thought about getting her sunglasses out of her purse. Rooting through it, though, she remembered that she’d given them to Shay. Bailey grinned as she looked over her shoulder at Shay who was sitting on the bench inside the hub, staring back at her.
Dropping to the bench beside Shay, Bailey shrugged. “We’ve got at least another 5 minutes before another bus comes by.” She casually let her hand fall next to Shay’s, her pinky grazing against Shay’s.
Shay sighed and uncrossed then recrossed her legs. “This must be why people don’t do this.” With her free hand she resituated her skirt since it had slid up when she moved. “This is why I don’t do this.” She looked down at their hands. “I’m not going to complain too much though because it’s just more time I get to spend with you.”
“Oh, I’m glad you’re not going to complain too much,” Bailey teased. “Come on. This is fun and spontaneous.” She leaned sideways, nudging Shay gently. “I thought you wanted to ‘go with the surf,’ huh?”
Shay smiled over at Bailey then checked her watch. “I think... I’ll just have to hang out with you more.” She uncrossed her legs and then moved one over until it rested against Bailey’s. “Is that okay with you. Or, since you are the expert here is there some other... method that you’d assign?”
Bailey ducked her head, resting her chin against Shay’s shoulder. “No, I think that’s exactly the right method. And you should practice. Often. Practice makes perfect, they say,” she murmured.
Shay draped her hair over her other shoulder so that it wouldn’t bother Bailey. “I think we practiced a lot this week.” She giggled. “That sounds really... not what it was.”
“Not what it was, hmm?” Bailey laughed. “That sounded kind of dirty, you know. And I have a reputation to protect.” She curled her pinky and ring finger over Shay’s, lacing them together, hiding them between their bodies. “Though, I guess I’d tarnish it for you.”
“You don’t care though.” Shay said as she looked over at Bailey for a moment before she looked up at the sky. “You don’t care what the people at school think about you. You’re just happy being happy.” With her free hand she toyed with the strap of her purse. “I think that’s something I need to learn too. I’m pretty sure it’s harder to teach.”
Bailey nodded, staring at Shay’s profile. “Yeah, but you’re a good learner, Smarty Pants.” She smiled and leaned forward a little, catching sight of the coming bus. “I believe in you.” Tugging gently at Shay’s hand, she stood up and smoothed down her shirt. “Come on, Peach. Our chariot is here.”
Shay laughed as she stood and pulled her purse onto her shoulder. As they waited for the bus to pull up she took out the money for her fare. “I can’t believe we haven’t picked where we’re going.” Shay smiled as Bailey rolled her eyes at her. “I’m excited, okay, excited.” She said as she looped her arm through her girlfriend’s but released her so that they could board the bus.
“You better be,” Bailey said playfully, getting on the bus first and dropping her fare into the box. She took a seat is the middle of the practically-empty bus, tapping her feet impatiently as she waited for Shay to join her.
Shay smiled at the driver as she dropped in her money. She grabbed onto the top of a seat to stay steady as she made her way to Bailey and the bus took off. Making sure her skirt wouldn’t wrinkle Shay settled in next to Bailey. She reached for her hand, lacing their fingers together and used her purse to hide the connection. With her free hand she took of her borrowed sunglasses and hung them on the neck of Bailey’s shirt. “Thank you.”
Bailey grinned. "S'no problem." She squeezed Shay's hand and bounced a little in her seat. "So, the rule is, if you see anything interesting, we get off the bus. We both know I can be spontaneous, but this is the perfect time for you to get some practice in." Bailey leaned in, lowering her voice to whisper in Shay's ear. "If you're real good, maybe I'll reward you later."
Shay shivered and leaned away. “I need to concentrate and that isn’t helping.” She got up and made her way to a seat on the opposite side of the aisle. The other passengers were too engrossed in their music or papers to notice them anyway. She took a route map out of one of the plastic containers and opened it, trying to find if there were any names on this route that she could recognize.
“Really?” Bailey asked, eyebrow raised and a smile on her lips. She turned in her seat, her back against the window and her legs stretched out across the seat. “Awh, Peach, no.” She slid off the seat enough to reach forward and grab a corner of the map. “Look out the window. And pick somewhere that looks interesting. Maps are cheating.”
Shay sighed playfully and released the map. “I think you need to explain all of these rules beforehand.” She turned her head to watch what went by. “What if I pick somewhere that you don’t like. This is a - we’re both supposed to have fun.”
“I’m sure I’ll have fun,” Bailey reassured her. “Come on. Just... live a little.” She bit down on her bottom lip, looking up at Shay through her eyelashes - a move that got her whatever she wanted from her father. “For me?”
Shay got up and returned to her previous seat next to Bailey. This time it was her turn to whisper in Bailey’s ear. “I’m in this for the reward. So I’m really hoping you’ll make it worth it.”
Bailey grinned widely, turning her head just enough so that her lips grazed against Shay’s cheek. “Oh, I will,” she promised, her voice low. She braced her hand on the seat in front of her as they came to their first stop. “Anything yet?”
“Oh, um,” Shay sat forward some so that she could get a better look outside the window, her hand finding Bailey’s knee as she did. “Lets... go a bit farther away from campus. Not too far but... maybe just a little more.” Since she was in the aisle seat she had to lean across Bailey some as she looked outside. “Excuse me.” She mumbled. “Yeah,” she leaned back, “ a few more stops.”
Bailey thought about letting her hand fall to Shay’s, but when Shay didn’t move her hand off her knee, Bailey sat back in her seat, smiling to herself. “A few more stops is fine with me.” No one had gotten on the bus and an older woman a few seats behind them had gotten off, leaving them in almost complete privacy. She smiled at Shay. “You’re not excused, by the way. Invading my personal space? How dare you.”
“So, when I invaded your space this morning?” Shay asked referring to when she’d come to get Bailey to begin their date and they traded a few sweet kisses. “I shouldn’t do that anymore?” Shay shook her head as she looked down. “I mean,” the corner of her mouth crooked in a half smile, “if that’s what you want.”
“I was just being too polite to say anything,” Bailey said, shaking her head, biting down on her smile. After a few silent minutes, glancing at Shay out of the corner of her eye every other second, Bailey finally cracked. “Oh, don’t be dumb. S’my job, Peach.” She lowered her voice, conscious of the few other people lingering on the bus. “I kind of want you to kiss me all the time.”
Shay blushed, without thinking she licked her bottom lip and gently squeezed Bailey’s knee. “I - you .” She cleared her throat and looked away from Bailey to the group of people who were getting on the bus.
Bailey turned towards the people getting on the bus and tried not to be disappointed. She didn’t know who they were and she was sure that Shay didn’t either, but... But maybe she did, Bailey told herself. “A few more stops, yeah?”
Shay nodded and leaned over to whisper in Bailey’s ear again. “I’d really like to find somewhere that I could kiss you.” She pulled back a bit, eyeing Bailey, before returning properly to her seat. The next time the bus stopped and the doors opened Shay perked up. “Oh, here,” she took in a deep breath. “Do you smell that? It smells like coffee but... really really good coffee. Let’s get off here.”
“I could use a really good coffee.” Laughing, Bailey got off the bus, squinting at the sun. She looked expectantly at Shay. “So, where to?”
“Um,” Shay turned around slowly. She really had no clue where she was. She stepped closer to Bailey. They seem to have stumbled an outdoor market. There was fresh produce and various arts and crafts and clothes and people. Bordering the market were different storefronts. To Shay it felt like the type of place that if she wanted to hold Bailey’s hand no one would care. “Wherever... the delicious smelling coffee is.”
Bailey tilted her head up, sniffing a little. “That way,” she said after a minute, pointing down a few storefronts. “That’s the place with the magic stuff.”
Shay looped a finger through one of Bailey’s belt loops and tugged her forward a few steps. “This place is really cool.” She said as she released Bailey only to loop their arms together. “Maybe you were right about the spontaneous thing, maybe.”
“No maybe, baby. Spontaneity is the new way to do things and the best way to do them.” She smiled at a woman watching them. “I have a feeling you’re secretly going to love it.”
“I will admit to nothing.” Shay couldn’t tell if Bailey was using a pet name or just trying to complete the rhyme She didn’t think she should ask so she just let it go. Stopping as they passed a consignment shop, Shay pulled Bailey with her as she stepped up to the small display window to look inside. “Coffee, you, and clothes.” She smiled as she looked over at Bailey. “So far I’d say this is a pretty perfect date.”
Bailey squealed a little as her eyes adjusted to the display window, taking in the clothes she could see. She already saw a few shirts she wanted to try on. And a few other shirts for Shay. She loved how good Shay looked all the time, but Bailey was dying to see how cute she’d look in an old, awesome t-shirt. “Okay,” she decided. “Coffee, right now, and then we are going in there and we’re not coming out until we have something.”
“I want to kiss you right now. So, I owe you one kiss, keep count.” Shay said with a smile as they stepped back and continued toward the marvelous smell. Finally they found it and Shay stepped forward to open the door for Bailey. There was a bit of a chill in the air and as they stepped inside the warm sweet scented shop Shay couldn’t help but smile. The menu was written in chalk and as a woman passed with her cup Shay could see that a leaf had been made in the foam. “Wow.” Shay said as she looked back to Bailey then to the menu. “I don’t even know where to start.”
Still smiling from Shay’s mention of keeping a kiss count, Bailey shrugged. “I’m gonna get...” She scanned the board again. “Oh, a Cinnamon Dolce Latte. That sounds so good.” Taking a chance, Bailey casually brushed her hand against Shay’s, lacing their pinkies and ring fingers together. It felt like holding hands without holding hands. “How ‘bout you?”
“I think...” Shay paused as she scanned the prices first then followed the connecting line to the actual item. Bailey’s touch gave her pause and she looked down at their partially joined hands. She struggled to resist the urge to look around so instead she looked back up at the menu. “I’m going to get the Spiced Chestnut Mocha.”
“You sure?” Bailey didn’t know if she was talking about Shay’s drink order or the way her eyes widened when she’d looked down and saw what Bailey had done with their hands.
“Yeah.” Shay said after a moment as she shifted her grip on Bailey’s hand until their fingers were completely laced. “Yeah, I’m sure.”
Bailey smiled. “Good. Because I’m buying.” She stepped up to the counter, their joined hands lagging between them. She gave their order to the boy behind the counter, smiling widely.
“Oh, no, don’t.” Shay said quickly, hating that she used the moment as an excuse to pull their hands apart. She reached for her purse but Bailey had already paid. She sighed and dropped her wallet back into her purse. “That was very... chivalrous but you didn’t have to.”
“I know I didn’t have to,” Bailey said. She rested one hip against the counter as the kid made their drinks, crossing her arms over her chest. She wrapped her fingers tightly around her own arm to replace the loss of Shay’s hand. “But I wanted to. So I did.” She shrugged.
“So then...” Shay stepped a bit closer, “next time it will be my turn?” She wished she could let herself hold Bailey’s hand. She didn’t want to mess things up with her but she wasn’t as ready as she thought she was.
Bailey softened a little. “If that’s what you want, then sure. Next time you can pay.”
“I want to.” Shay said carefully, hoping Bailey would understand.
Sighing, a smile playing at her lips, Bailey nodded. “Then you can.” She thanked the boy who handed her the coffees and nodded towards an empty table by the door. “We could sit and drink, or walk. Your choice, Peach.”
“I think I’d like to walk.” Shay said as she carefully took her cup. “There’s so much to see. But only if you’re okay with that too.”
“Course I am.” Bailey held the door open for Shay and waited until she went through to follow her onto the street. “There is a lot here. I’ve never been down here before.” She turned to Shay. “Where to? Left or right.”
“Lets go left.” Shay decided. “That’s what happens when you’re spontaneous.” Shay said as she lightly bumped Bailey with her hip. “You discover new and exciting things. Don’t worry, I’ll help you work on it.” Shay took a sip of her coffee. “Oh, so good.”
Bailey laughed loudly. “You’ll help me work on it,” she repeated, shaking her head. She started towards the left. “You’re hilarious, really. I am the queen of spontaneity. I pretty much came up with the concept. So I’ll teach you how it goes.” She fell into step next to Shay.
“I don’t know. I’m getting pretty good at this. Next thing you know I’ll be... I don’t even know because I’ll just be that spontaneous.” Shay slowed as they began to pass vendor stalls. “You won’t ever know what to expect from me.”
“Who knows what I expect from you now anyway,” Bailey teased, looking over the products at each stall. There was a really cool necklace she liked, with a small raindrop-looking pendant hanging off it. Stepping a little closer to Shay, but not too close so the girl would step away, she said, “So, whatcha looking for?”
“I don’t know, I’m being spontaneous.” Shay laughed, looking at the various pieces of jewelry over the top of her coffee cup. “I promise I’ll stop with this soon.” She held her coffee in one hand as she reached for a pair of earrings. “Well I would like to know what you expect so that I don’t do anything wrong.”
Bailey moved towards the necklace again, touching the pendant lightly. “Spontaneous you is nice. But it’s nice too, when you’re all... plans.” She didn’t want Shay to think she didn’t like the way Shay seemed like a very structured, regimented person. It was endearing. “And unless you... I don’t know, leave me here in the middle of the day and never speak to me again, I don’t see you doing much wrong.”
Shay smiled, looked around a moment then reached over for Bailey’s hand. She tugged her close and leaned forward to kiss her quickly. She could feel the pick up in her pulse at the contact and the risk. She pulled back, brushing against Bailey as she stepped around her to look at another table of jewelry. “I think you like me.” She said softly as she passed her.
Blinking a few times, the feel of Shay’s lips lingering against her own, it took Bailey a moment before she could turn around. She hadn’t been expecting that. Like, at all. “Uh,” she said distractedly. “Yeah, I think I do.” Clearing her head a bit, she turned back to the table with the raindrop pendant necklace, asking how much it cost.
I probably shouldn’t have done that. Shay thought to herself. She’d wanted to kiss Bailey and she’d wanted to hold her hand. They weren’t at school so why couldn’t she just be okay with doing those things? Because she was terrified of getting caught. With her thoughts racing she couldn’t concentrate on the items in front of her. When she heard the vendor and Bailey talking she turned around and returned to Bailey’s side.
Smiling at Shay, Bailey tucked the wrapped necklace into her purse. "Getting anything?" she asked, hoping Shay hadn't seen the necklace.
Shay looked around one last time before shaking her head. “I think I’m going to save my money for that store we saw earlier.”
“Oh, let’s go there.” Bailey bit her lip again, looking at Shay. “Can we please go there?”
Shay smiled and let herself be momentarily distracted by just how pretty Bailey was. “Okay.” She finally said. “Okay.” She repeated since Bailey had smiled and Shay had lost her train of thought. They stepped out of the stall and headed to the store that they’d peaked into before getting coffee.
Bailey grinned widely as she pulled Shay through the door of the shop, stopping momentarily in the doorway to take it in. It looked like a secondhand clothing store, exactly the kind of places she shopped in at home in California. Sighing wistfully, she walked towards one of the racks, looking through the shirts. “Hey, Peach, c’mere.”
“Find something already?” Shay asked as she moved away from the shirts that she’d been looking at to see what Bailey had found. Her eyes wandered over the stacks that Bailey was combing through and she chuckled to herself. “Is there a shirt here without some sort of band name or logo?”
“No! Isn’t that awesome?” She pulled a shirt off the rack and held it up to Shay’s torso. “Now, are you more a Ramones girl, or a Joan Jett?”
“Devil music all of it.” Shay teased as she looked down at the shirt that Bailey was holding against her. “Um,” Shay hesitated, “ I’m not really sure so... how about you pick.” She looked back up at Bailey, “Which one do you like best?”
Bailey sighed, eyes on the two shirts. The Ramones were awesome, but Joan Jett was the queen of rock. Plus, the black Joan Jett shirt would look amazing on Shay. She thrust it towards Shay. “Try this one. I think it’d be perfect for you.”
“Okay.” Shay said as she took the shirt, turned it around to get a better look at it, and then laid it over her arm. “So does this mean I get to pick out something for you?” Shay looked over her shoulder at Bailey as she moved a few tables down. “I think that’s fair.”
“What?” Bailey made a face. “It depends on what you pick out,” she said slowly.
Shay laughed, her hair falling off her shoulders as her head fell back. “Oh, you don’t trust me.” She shook her head. “That hurts it just hurts.”
Bailey smiled. “Fine, fine. Pick me something and then we’ll be even.”
“I don’t know if I should.” Shay said as she paused at a row of jackets. “I don’t want you to break up with me or something if I pick the wrong thing.” She pulled a dark purple Adidas jacket off the rack. The trade mark three white stripes ran down the shoulders to the cuffs of the sleeves with the Adidas trefoil in white on the back. She reached up to read the tag. “It says it’s called a firebird tt. If that means anything.” She looked to Bailey waiting for her reaction before she moved on if she didn’t like it.
Turning around to see what Shay was holding, Bailey’s eyes lit up. She tempered her reaction, eyeing the jacket critically. “Hmm,” she said to herself, feeling the fabric between her fingers. “I mean, you could have done worse,” she said solemnly. She waited a few seconds before looking up and catching Shay’s eye. “I love it. Honest. Very good choice.”
Shay smiled and leaned forward some, switching her coffee from one hand to the other so she could wrap her arm around Bailey. “So, no breaking up then?” She asked as she pulled her closer, looking over her shoulder for a moment toward the front of the shop then back to her.
Bailey glanced in the same direction Shay was looking, smiling crookedly when she realized the only other person in the shop was the owner and he was behind the counter. “No,” she murmured. “No breaking up.” She leaned forward and kissed Shay quickly.
“Good.” Shay said with a soft smile. She looked away for a moment. “I’m sorry that I can’t... do this with you all the time...” She trailed unsure if she should or could say more.
Bailey sighed softly. “It’s okay. I’m sorry I, like, pushed earlier.” She ducked her head a little. “I didn’t mean to.”
“It’s not that I don’t want to.” Shay said as she tilted her head to try to catch Bailey’s eye. “I don’t mind that. I mean... when I do mind I’ll tell you, okay?”
“Okay,” Bailey echoed, reaching up to tuck some of Shay’s hair behind her ear. She let her hand hover there for a moment, smiling softly before clearing her throat. “Okay, so, try on that shirt for me, would you, beautiful?”
Shay smiled and turned away before Bailey could see her blush. As she headed back to the changing rooms she grabbed a few more items off of the various racks and shelves. When she finally reached the back she pushed aside the curtain to step into the changing room. Pulling off her shirt she folded it before setting it aside to reach for the one Bailey had picked out. “Okay,” she said as she stepped out of the room. “Thoughts?”
Bailey whistled. “Well, damn. You look...” She shook her head, grinning. Shay looked really good in that shirt. And Bailey didn’t know what it was, but something about Shay in a battered Joan Jett shirt was amazing-looking. “You look... Yeah,” she breathed out, unable to form her thoughts into words. “Yes. That shirt has my vote.”
Shay laughed and looked down at herself in the simple shirt. “Really?”
“Absolutely,” Bailey said, grinning. “Don’t ask me why. Just get the shirt.”
“So weird.” Shay said shaking her head. She turned to head back into the changing room, purposefully beginning to pull of the t-shirt before she was fully out of sight. “Did you find anything else you liked?” She called out as she reached for the next thing she’d brought back.
The image of Shay’s midriff still burned into the back of her eyelids, it took Bailey a minute to answer the question. “Uh, yeah,” she said, looking down at the clothes in her hands. “The jacket and some other shirts. And a pair of pants.”
Shay bit her lip as time stretched and Bailey didn’t respond. When the other girl finally spoke and Shay could hear the tone of her voice she was relieved. She stepped out of the skirt she was wearing and pulled on a sundress she’d picked up. “You gonna change so I can see?”
“Yeah, gimme a second,” Bailey said, slipping into the stall next to Shay’s. She could see Shay’s bare feet and got distracted for a minute before pulling her shirt off and dropping it to the floor, replacing it with one she’d picked off the rack. “Let me know when you wanna see.”
“Ready?” Shay asked as she smoothed her dress and looked at her reflection. She turned to look over her shoulder and then reached out to slide the curtain to the side, poking her head out to see if Bailey was ready.
Bailey stepped out of the changing room, smoothing down the shirt she was trying on. She looked up and smiled as she caught sight of Shay. “What do you think?”
“I think you’re very pretty and no shirt is going to change that.” Shay stepped forward placing her hands lightly on Bailey’s waist. “I like it. It fits you well and is a nice color for you.”
“Yeah?” Bailey tilted her head to the side and smiled widely, placing her hands over Shay’s. “I like your dress too.”
Shay nodded and wrapped her arms around Bailey, pulling her close. “Thanks.” She mumbled before leaning forward to kiss her.
Lingering for a moment, Bailey smiled against Shay’s lips. “You’re welcome,” she said, stroking her thumb over Shay’s hipbone. “Mhmm. Very welcome.”
“Too bad I don’t owe you more kisses.” Shay smirked as she pulled back. She leaned in for one more quick kiss, lightly pulling on the bottom of Bailey’s shirt as she did. “You should get it.” She said over her shoulder as she stepped back into her changing room.
Bailey stepped back into her changing room, smirking at her reflection. “I will,” she called out. “If you get that dress. And wear it the next time I take you out.”
“I’m pretty sure it’s me who is taking you out next time, just for the record.” Shay pulled her own skirt back on and then another shirt she’d picked out. She looked at her reflection and shook her head before she took that shirt off and started a ‘no’ pile.
“I don’t care who takes who out,” Bailey shouted back. She held another shirt up to her body and shook her head, doing the same with the next few shirts. Finally she found one she liked and she smiled at her reflection. “Just as long as you wear that dress.” She pulled the purple Adidas jacket on, turning in a slow circle.
“So demanding.” Shay replied. She’d stopped trying on new things and was now just looking at herself in the mirror wearing the Joan Jett shirt that Bailey liked so much. She pulled her hair up and then down, turned one way and then the other, trying to imagine the various outfits she could make with it. Outfits that she would probably try to wear if she knew she was going to be seeing Bailey that day. “Next thing you’ll want poetry at five and dinner by six.”
Bailey smiled to herself. “Dinner at six? Ridiculous. Everyone knows dinner is always at 6:15. Goodness.” She stepped out of the changing room, still wearing the jacket, and leaned against a rack, waiting for Shay to finish up.
“Promptly.” Shay laughed. She hadn’t found anything else that she liked so when she stepped out of the changing room it was in her own clothes. She carried the dress and shirt that she was going to by and hung everything else up on the rack that the employees would put back. Finally she turned to Bailey. “Oh, I really like that on you.”
“Do you?” Bailey looked down at herself, preening a little. “My girlfriend picked it out for me. I’ll let her know you liked it.”
“She did?” Shay asked with a smile as she playfully looked around. “Well where is she because she has great taste in girls and clothes.”
Bailey smiled and rolled her eyes, nudging Shay gently. “Anything else you wanna get, or do you wanna go see what else we can find?”
“I want to the buy these.” Shay said holding up the dress and shirt she’d picked out. “Maybe, we could explore a little more. I don’t want to go back to school yet.” Shay wasn’t sure how to say she wanted to spend more time with Bailey before they got back to AWM and things had to change.
“I don’t want to go back either,” Bailey admitted, hoisting the jacket and another t-shirt onto the counter. The older man rang her up as Bailey rifled through her purse for her wallet. Her hand brushed against the wrapped necklace she’d gotten - she would save that and give it to Shay later in the week. “So,” she continued as the man handed her back her change. “Exploring sounds perfect to me.”
“Spending time with you sounds perfect to me.” Shay said as she stepped up to the counter to pay for her thing. “Don’t say anything.” She said looking away as Bailey smiled at her. She pulled out her wallet as the price flashed on the cash register. She looked up at the sound of deep chuckling to find that the owner was laughing at them as he bagged her purchases. Shay tensed and slid her change hastily back into her wallet. She was completely surprised when he said, “You two remind me of when I was young, trying to figure out dating, it’s nice.” He smiled and handed Bailey her bag. “Have a nice day.”
Bailey looked up in surprise too, but recovered before Shay did, looping her arm through Shay’s. She smiled widely at him and tugged a little on Shay’s arm, who seemed frozen in place. “You heard the man, Peach. Let’s go have a nice day.